ACCESSION NUMBER:305959
FILE ID:TXT102
DATE:10/04/93
TITLE:CLINTON BLAMES MOSCOW VIOLENCE ON RUTSKOI FORCES (10/04/93)
TEXT:*93100402.TXT
CLINTON BLAMES MOSCOW VIOLENCE ON RUTSKOI FORCES
(Transcript: California departure remarks) (530)
Washington -- President Clinton blames the outbreak of violence in Moscow on
forces backing Russia's former vice president, Alexander Rutskoi.
In remarks delivered October 3, before troops loyal to Russian President
Boris Yeltsin stormed the parliament building, Clinton said he continued to
back Yeltsin and warned against "wavering" or "giving any encouragement to
people who clearly want to derail the election process and (who) are not
committed to reform in Russia."
Clinton made the remarks as he was leaving the White House for a three-day
trip to California. Following is a transcript of his remarks:
(begin transcript)
CLINTON: Ladies and gentlemen, I have received a rather extended briefing on
what we know about what is going on in Russia and I want to make a couple
of comments about it. First of all, it is clear that the violence was
perpetrated by the Rutskoi-Khasbulatov forces, that there has been
significant violence today in Moscow. It is also clear that President
Yeltsin bent over backwards to avoid the use of force, to avoid excessive
force from the beginning of this and I still am convinced that the United
States must support President Yeltsin and the process of bringing about
free and fair elections. We cannot afford to be in the position of
wavering at this moment or of backing off or giving any encouragement to
people who clearly want to derail the election process and are not
committed to reform in Russia. So we are following events moment by
moment. As you know, we have access to television coverage there so you
are also pretty current on it. But that is the most I know now and that is
our position.
QUESTION: Do you think that Yeltsin can survive Mr. President and will you
cut off aid if he is deposed?
1NSWER: Well, I don't expect him to be deposed. I wouldn't overreact to
this, now. I think the people clearly stand far more supportive of him
than the Rutskoi-Khasbulatov and they seem, they don't have any organized
military support that we're aware of. So we'll just have to wait for
developments, but I have no reason to believe that he would be deposed.
Q: Mr. President, have you spoken to President Yeltsin?
A: No. I'm sure he's got more important things to do right now than to talk
to me and I don't think the United States should be involved in the moment
to moment management of this crisis, but I do want him to know of my
continued support and the support of the United States.
Q: What can the U.S. government do right now?
A: Well first of all, we can get as much intelligence as quickly an possible
about what's going on and we can do our best to look after the safety of
the Americans who are there and the security of the embassy, which has
received some attention from our folks, and so far the reports on that are
good.
Q: Do you have any plans to cancel your trip or postpone your trip in any
way?
A: No.
(end transcript)
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